Need to Get the Baby to Sleep? Try Beer!

Ok, I will write my disclaimer at the very top of this blog, as I know several of you are in panic over the title. NO I do not give nor condone giving a baby beer. Here is what I mean...

Just the other day, in church, Quatro was restless as all get out. He typically naps about 30 minutes around 9.00, and with church starting at 9.30 he doesn't get his nap in, nor does he want to nap once there. (At our church, the kids stay in service with us... no nursery.) So it wasn't surprising that he was so fidgety; he had missed his much needed nap, and it was now 10.30. All my tricks for getting him to sleep had failed. And I thought I was pretty good at these tricks, having had 4 babies now, and being Mom, you know. Nope. No snoozing.

I wandered toward the back of the church, where Quatro's godfather was standing. He said hi to the adorable fussy babe, and I mentioned that he was overtired. The Godfather (I had to write that) said, "Here, let me try." Of course, I, Mom, in my pride, handed him over but laughed, "Good luck!" Although he himself is a father of young kids, he is, after all, a GUY. Then I added, "If you get him to sleep within 10 minutes, I'll buy you a beer!"

Five minutes later I glanced over, and sure enough, the babe was zonked in his arms. I am certain (partly cuz he told me so) that The Godfather has tricks up his sleeve that are well-used with his own infant son, but I believe it has something to do with the mention of buying him a beer.

Here's why: it is not the first time I have thrown out the "I'll buy you a beer if you get BABY to sleep" line. I threw it out to a friend recently, and she got him to sleep. I said it a small handful of times to my nanny in London, and it worked each time. And once I said it to my mother-in-law about my ridiculously fussy baby Tigger on a long haul flight from Orlando to London, and lo and behold it worked then, in the time it took for me to go to the restroom and back.

Having said all this, I'm not sure I have ever actually followed through on buying said people a beer...